United Airlines Flight Bound For China Returns To LAX After Pilot Forgets Passport

The issue sparks another concern with U.S. airlines and their efficiency.

Passengers aboard an United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai, China had an unusual delay to their travels.

After taking off around 2 p.m. Pacific Time, the plane had to return to California after the pilot realized they left their passport. According to ABC7, United Flight 198 had already spent two hours in the skies when the aviator discovered they was missing crucial identification.

Considering he couldn’t enter China without it, the plane quickly diverted to San Francisco. When the plane arrived back in the United States at 5 p.m. local time, all 250 passengers deplaned. A statement from United confirmed all travelers received meal vouchers and compensation for their troubles.

“The pilot did not have their passport onboard,” United said in the statement.

“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.”

Although United rebooked the passengers with a new flight and crew hours laters, the plane could not make up for lost time. Travelers finally made it to Shanghai six hours after their original scheduled arrival.

Some passengers expressed their own contempt for the amount of compensation received. Yang Shuhan, a Chinese passenger on the flight, told CNN that the meal vouchers only totaled to $15 per traveler. As for the financial compensation for their troubles, United told Shuhan they would resolve her claim within 14 business days.

For those on the return flight from Shanghai, they also faced delays due to what others deemed a “lack of discipline.”

“It’s quite embarrassing (for United),” explained Shukor Yusof, founder of Singapore-based Endau Analytics, an advisory firm that focuses on the aviation industry. Yusof also called the incident a costly mistake that a global airline should not have made.

The airline has faced more heat from disgruntled passengers, including a mother whose issue went viral on TikTok. After she was asked to remove her son’s breathing tube for takeoff, and told by pilots that her son should not fly, Melissa Sotomayor recalled the traumatic experience to the app.

@missysoto0 @United Airlines Do better and be better! You tried to deny my child the right to fly HOME stating his vent and portable oxygen concentrator are a danger to my son and other passengers?! The captain of flight number UA1349 tried saying my son shouldn’t be allowed to fly because of his special needs. 4 flight crews told me I needed to disconnect his vent and oxygen until we were up in the air & kept saying our seats would be moved because I was unwilling to comply?! I explained multiple times that these pieces of equipment are keeping my son alive and to be told “He’ll be ok until we’re up in the air” is ignorant and unacceptable!!! If you have a loved one with special needs, I do NOT recommend flying United!!! This goes against ADA and corporate is unwilling to do anything to right the situation. An apology was all I wanted!!!#NoahScottStrong #TeamSpicySweetPotato #babiesoftiktok #fyp #medicalmomsoftiktok #medicallycomplex #preemiestrong #warriors #tracheostomy #trach #gtubebaby #gtube #trachbabies #dobetterbebetter #americanswithdisabilitiesact #unitedairlines ♬ original sound – Missy Soto

The way you treated my son when we were attempting to fly home from Tampa to Newark was absolutely ridiculous,” explained Sotomayor.

She quickly gained over 1 million views on her video detailing the story. Although United announced its apology to Sotomayor, she called the regrets “insincere.”

Most have recently criticized U.S. airlines over the rise in plane crashes. However, this matter sparks a new concern over the airlines’ efficiency to get paying customers to and from their destinations.